Valveless manifold



I. D. MAXWELL.

VALVELESS MANIFOLD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25,1921.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922'.

UNITED STAES Para erica.

,TMES D. MAXWELL, 0F BROOKLYN',v NEW YORK.

VALVELESS MANIFOLD.

, Application ed March 25, 1921. Serial No. 455,405.

and useful Improvements in Valveless Manifolds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to manifolds such as are used on shipboard, for instance, for establishing different connections between the various auxiliaries, pumps and the like.

Heretofore, the connectionshave been varied at the manifold by predeterminedly operating certain hand valves associated with and forming a part of the manlfold. Any error in the operation of such valves naturally is liable to result in serious consequences and aside from being such a'source of danger, these manifolds are objectionable because of the care and attention which have to be given the valves'.

The objects of my invention are to lprovide a manifold in which the objections noted will be overcome, which will be relatively imple and comparatively ineXpenSlve and which will be practical and useful in a great many relations.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, I have shown only a single form of the invention and have illustrated but a few of its uses, but wish it understood that the structure may be'modified and the device applied to many other uses, without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross sectlon of a ship illustrating five different uses of the invention.

-Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged plan and vertical sectional views of the manifold, Figure 2 being taken lon substantially the plane of the line 22 of Figure 3.

The structure of the device will be readily understood from the detail views Figures 2- and 3,-wherein it will be seen that the same consists of but two parts, a body part 5 and a cover part 6. The body part is shown as having three passages therein, a central passage 7 and passages 8 and 9 at 'opposite sides of the same. These three passages all open to the top of the manifold body, which is faced off, as indicated at 10, to form a seat for the cover.

`The cover is reversibly engageable, end- Specication of Letters Patent. v Patented Rian 14:, 1922.

for-end on the mainfold body, and 1s prov vided at one end with a closure portion 11 designed to shut off either the passage 8" or 9 and at the opposite end with a port 12 communlcatln trally disposed ter with the central port 7 of the manifold body:

n Wlth this construction, it will be seen that 1t 1s posslble by slmply reversing the cover end-for-end, to either close ofi' the passage 9 and connect the passages 7 and 8, or to close off the passage 8. and to connect the passages 7 and 9, the first possibility being indicated in full lines in Figure 3, and the latter possibility being indicated by the dot and dash lines in the same figure.

To enable quick reversal of the cover, I have shown the same as releasably and detachably secured in placeon the mainfold by swing'bolts 15 pivoted to the manifold body at 16 and provided with wing nuts 17 arranged to bear on the flange 18 of the cover. The shifting of the cover is facilitated by the provision of a handle 19 on the cover, preferably located over the approximate center of gravity so that the` cover will be practically balanced when lifted by this handle.

A gasket or gaskets such as I have shown at 20 are preferably interposed between the cover and manifold base to insure tight con-K nections in either position of the cover.

The manifold herein illustrated is provided with flanges 21, 22 and 23 for three by a conduit 13 with a cen-I port 14 positioned to regisplpe connections and to save space in overall dimensions, I have shown the intermediate pipe fiange 22 as located at the side of the manifold body and the other pipe flanges 21 and 23 as located alongside each 'other at the bottom of the mainfold body. This arrangement makes for a most compact form of manifold body, enables relatively close spacing of the pipes, allows for straight passages in the manifold and enables the cover to be made quite small and hence easy to handle and quickly reversible..

In Figure 1 the manifold shown at the top at 24 is indicated as in usev for controlling the exhaust from the deck Winches, the reversal of the'cover enabling the exhaust to be sent from the central passage in the manifold base either to atmosphere or to the condenser. Inthe case illustrated, the outlet to atmosphere is closed ofi' and. the exhaast connection is coupled with the condenser. f

The manifold illustrated at 25 is used in a similar capacity to control the exhaust from all the auxiliaries, the cover being shown in this particular instance as arranged to shut olf the connection to the condenser and as connecting the exhaust directly to atmosphere.

The manifold at 26 has its central or inten' mediate passage connected with the discharge side of the ballast pump and is adapted on reversal of the cover to send such discharge either to the tanks or overboard. As shown, the discharge is directed overboard.

The opposite ends of the manifold indicated at 27 are connected with the forward and after fuel tanks, the reversal of the cover in this instance enabling the oil to be pumped from forward to after tanks or vice versa and the shutting olf of one tank or set of tanks enabling the same to be run up with water without danger of mixing the water with the oil in the ot-her tanks.

The manifold indicated at 28 has its opposite ends connected with the deep tank and with the bilge respectively so that the pump which is connected with the intermediate passage of the manifold 'can be operated either to pump out the deep tank or to remove bilge Water. The use in this connection is particularly importa-nt in that the deep tank is ordinarily used for water ballast when the ship is light and is pumped out and used for cargo at other times. When in use for cargo, the deep tank will be closed oli", with the cover in the position shown, thereby making it impossible to inadvertently admit Water into the cargo tank.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character disclosed, a manifold having a plurality of passa-ges opening through one face thereof, a cover applicable over said face of the manifold and provided with a closure portion adapted when registered with the terminus of one of the passages to close off the same and with a conduit whose ends are spaced to register with the terminals of two of the passages, said cover being removable and interchangeably engageable on the 'manifold to blank off' and to connect the passages and means for securing said coverin any of its interchangeable relations.

2. In a device of the character disclosed, a manifold having a plurality of passages opening through one face thereof, a removable cover applicable over said face of the manifold` and provided with a closure portion adapted when registered with the end of one of the passages to close off the same and with a conduit having ends spaced to register with the ends of two of the passages, said cover being interchangeably engageable on the manifold to close off and to connect the passages and readily releasable means for detachably securing said cover on the manifold in any of its interchangeable relations.

3. In a device of the character disclosed, a manifold having -a plurality of passages opening through one face thereof `and arranged in a row, a cover applicable over. said lface of the manifold and provided at one end with a closure portion adapted when registered with the end of one of the passages to close off the same and at the opposite end with a conduit having ends spaced to register with the ends of two others of the passages, said cover being removable from and reversible end-for-end on the manifold to cut olf the passage at either end of the manifold and to connect two of tfhidpassages at the opposite'end of the mani- 4. In a device of the character disclosed, a manifold having an exposed passage and open passages at opposite sides of the same and a cover applicable to said manifold and having a. central port for registry with the central passage of the manifold, a conduit extending from said central port toward one end of the cover and terminating in a port positioned to register with yone of the side passages of the manifold and a closure at the opposite end of the cover to close off the other side passage of the manifold, said cover being reversible end-for-end on the manifold and readily releasable means for (fieltlchably securing the cover on the mani- 5. A valveless manifold comprising a manifold body having a seat with an exposed passage and seats at opposite sides of said first seat, one of said side seats having a passage, a removable cover detachably and reversibly applicable to said manifold and engageable with all said three seats, said cover having a conduit terminating in ports spaced to register with the'central and one of the side seats and a closure portion to engage the other of the side seats and readily releasable means for detachably seduring the cover in either of -its reversed positions on the manifold.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of March, 1921.

' JAMES D. MAXWELL. 

